Nobody knows how to celebrate the wild blueberry harvest like the people of Down East Maine. Get ready to celebrate it with them! In Machias, residents like to say they “roll out the blue carpet” each August and this year is no different. The 37th Annual Machias Wild Blueberry Festival takes place August 17-19, so it’s time to make your vacation plans to head Down East. Here are some of this year’s highlights:

Blueberry Farm Tours  –  Learn how low bush wild blueberries are harvested, what it means to “rake” blueberries, and how a mechanical harvester works at a working farm. Weekend shuttle service is available from town.

The Blueberry Pie-Eating Contest  –  Contestants are chosen by lottery for this highlight of the festival that is fun to watch and to try. View these photos from previous years and judge for yourself.

The Blueberry Musical  –  A musical romp that features a different script every year and lots of  local talent. This year’s theme, East Side Story, is certain to deliver with raucous music, choreography and wild antics.

7th Annual Blackfly Ball  –  This wacky dress-up dance party is as much crazy booty-shaking as it is celebration of a piece of community history. A much-anticipated family event.

Crafts & Artisans  –  Plenty of crafted wonders are on display this year including pottery, sea-glass, jewelry and smoked salmon.

ALSO: Cooking contests, a flea market, a road race, a parade, and on Sunday two Blueberry Festival Co-Chairs will wed on the steps of the Centre Street Congregational Church! What a way to celebrate!

If you want a taste of the wild blueberry harvest, do it in a town that holds the little blue fruit dear – after all, it put Down East Maine on the map! There is no admission fee, so come and enjoy and stay locally.

Have you entered to win a 5-Day Coastal Adventure? Bar Harbor is just a half an hour away from Machias, and this Sweeps is a chance for you and a friend to go wild in the land of wild blueberries with a 5-day expense-paid getaway at the Bar Harbor Inn. It’s filled with amenities, such as lobster dinner, spa, tours, and more. Enter for a Chance to Win!